Category: giveaway

Would You Read It Wednesday – The 32nd Pitch, And A Tour Update, And A Winner!!!

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As of yesterday, it is officially spring!  For pretty much the first time I can remember (and please, no comments about senility) it actually feels like spring on March 21st.  We don’t have one of these cuties

but the lawn is greening, even up here on the mountain where we are usually two weeks behind the valley.  The lilac bush is unfurling tiny new leaves.  And my Brown Dog spent most of yesterday’s romp in a nearby pond looking for all the world like an otter 🙂

I realize it may not last.  It is only March, and this kind of weather usually doesn’t arrive until late April… or late May… !  But boy is it nice while it’s here!

Before we get to our Would You Read It pitch for today, we have a couple little items of business.

First, that rascally groundhog Phyllis is in Philadelphia with our friend Erik!  Please hop over and check out his post on Phyllis’s visit to the City of Brotherly Love HERE 🙂

If you didn’t get to see her visit to The Land of Living Skies, please check Beth’s post HERE.  (It’s not every day you get to see a groundhog in a Mountie’s hat, and you will love the deal she and Beth struck!)

Tomorrow (Thursday) we will get to hear all about her visit to Nice, France with Joanna, so be sure to check HERE!  As well as her visit with Penny in Abilene, TX (I think there’s going to be video footage in this one!) which you can see HERE!

Anyone who wants to browse or catch up, check out Phyllis’s World Tour Page on the tab above or click HERE.

I just have to say, I hope you all are having as much fun with Phyllis’s tour as I am.  When I came up with this wacky idea, I never dreamed that everyone would be so incredibly enthusiastic and creative and wonderful!  You have all done such an amazing job, and every time I think you can’t be any more awesome, you are!  So thank you to everyone who is hosting and posting Phyllis, and to everyone who is reading and commenting and lending their support in other ways.  This tour is only what it is because of you!

Now then, this seems like the perfect moment to announce the winner of Iza’s book.  I must say, there were some very entertaining poems in Monday’s comments!   Some of them were more entertaining then they were intended to be (Penny!) and we all had a good laugh 🙂

Everyone who submitted 4 rhyming lines about a bear by 5 PM EDT yesterday had their name fed to random.org.  And the winner of the brand new, hot off the presses, hard cover, signed copy of The Bear Went Over The Mountain, written and illustrated by the fabulous Iza Trapani is…………

TERI!!!  (Who has amazing luck with random.org – I believe she won a book giveaway last year too!)

Congratulations, Teri!  Lucky you 🙂  I hope you enjoy the book.  Please email me and let me know your address and how you’d like the book signed so I can pass the info along to Iza!

And now, the other moment you’ve all been waiting for, today’s pitch!

Today’s pitch comes to us from Rebecca, a talented young writer who loves her pony and her friends and who, at 14, is the youngest person to participate in Would You Read It so far.  She does not have a blog or a website (yet!:)) so you’ll just have to visit with her here.  Here is her pitch:

Working Title:  Everett
Age/Genre:  YA Paranormal
The Pitch:  Ever since Bria Stone was a little girl, she has had nightmares about shadow-like monsters who claim they’re coming to get her. At age six, Bria had another dream, in which a man with glowing skin told her the monsters are real.  When Bria encounters this man – who claims his last name is Everett and that he has no first name – in real life after her nineteenth birthday party, she starts to wonder: if good dreams can come true, does that mean the bad ones can too?

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Rebecca improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  Go ahead and send your pitch for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Rebecca is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!
And I am really looking forward to hearing about what Phyllis got up to in France, and Texas!  Stay tuned…!

Meet Iza Trapani, Author/Illustrator – And A Giveaway!

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Happy Monday Everyone!  I hope you all had a lovely weekend!

You know, I struggle a little with this blog schedule.  On the one hand, I don’t want to post more than three days a week.  On the other hand, I don’t want to cram so much into a post that you the one look at all that text and skip on to the next blog (I know – I haven’t quite mastered that one :)).  On the other hand, I don’t want to post twice in a day because that’s as bad as adding a day –  I know how busy everyone is, how many great blogs there are to read out there, and how limited your time is.  On the other hand (I believe we’re up to four hands now… so you see the struggle!) there’s is so much to share!!!  I had thought I could solve one problem by posting the monthly interviews on Saturday or Sunday, but I didn’t like that and neither, I think, did you.  We all need a break.  So I’m booting Oh Susanna this week and putting the interview in here.

And oh I have such a treat for you today!  Please join me in welcoming the incomparable Iza Trapani!

SLH:  When did you first become interested in writing and/or illustrating?  Was it something you always did, or something you came to later in life?
Author/Illustrator Iza Trapani
IT:  I have been an artist since I could hold a pencil in my hand (or lipstick for that matter; as a toddler, I used my mom‘s lipstick to paint a masterpiece on our wall.) I have also always enjoyed writing, especially poetry. In high school and college, while art was my main focus, I took as many creative writing courses as I could.
SLH:  Were you encouraged by family/teachers?
IT:  Yes, as long as I stayed away from the lipstick, my family encouraged me. They read and sang to me and instilled in me a lifelong love of art, language and music. Friends and teachers did as well, throughout my whole life. Their belief in me has always been and continues to be empowering.
SLH:  You are both an author and an illustrator.  Which comes first for you, the story or the art?
        
IT:  The story comes first, but I  envision the pictures as I write it. I want to be sure that the story suggests wonderful imagery and that scenes vary from page to page.
SLH:  Where/when/how do you get your ideas?
At the most inopportune times- in the middle of the night, in the shower, when I am driving…The idea for my first children‘s book, What am I? An Animal Guessing Game came to me  when I was on  a long mountain bike ride twenty-two years ago. When a turtle crosed the trail in front of me, I made up a little rhyming riddle about him. By the time I returned home an hour or so later, I had the book roughed out and some of the verses composed.  I  never really thought of myself as a writer until that point.  I had a portfolio packed with children‘s book art but not one story. And then one day (thank you turtle), I tapped into that part of my brain, and after that ideas kept pouring out.
SLH:  What has been the most challenging thing you have faced as an author/illustrator?
IT:  Maybe two things: The waiting- hearing back from editors and art directors, waiting for the book to be printed, waiting for reviews, waiting for royalty statements…The other challenge is  having my illustrations in progress (especially covers) reviewed by, not just the art director and editor, but the marketing team, the sales team, the editorial departments etc. I am very easy to work with and totally open to viable suggestions, but after a while it becomes “art by committee.” Have you ever heard the expression that “ a camel is a horse that was designed by a committee?” Well, it‘s something like that!
SLH:  What has been the most wonderful thing that has happened to you as an author/illustrator?
IT:  I can‘t put my finger on one thing. There have been so many exciting and gratifying moments. What warms my heart the most is the love and loyalty from my generous fan base – the parents, the early educators, the children, the supportive fellow authors, like you, Susanna. I have met so many wonderful people on this great journey!
SLH:  What has been your best selling book so far?
IT:  The Itsy Bitsy Spider. I am proud (and amazed) to say it has sold over a million copies  and is still going strong.
SLH:  Why do you think that might have been?
IT:  Timing might have had something to do with it. There weren‘t many retellings of nursery rhymes at the time (that I know of ) and so I found a niche in the market. The book became instantly popular with teachers, especially Pre-K to K. I had very positive feedback from early educators telling me how useful the book was in teaching young children to read – that the kids recognized the title so they were eager to look inside the book, that they already knew the first verse so that gave them confidence to learn the other verses. Plus the book could be sung for even easier learning.

SLH:  Were you surprised by one book’s success over another’s?
IT:  With over twenty years of practice, both my writing and illustration have improved, so it surprises me that my fifteenth book, Froggie Went A-Courtin’, which has some of my best artwork, is not doing anywhere near as well as my second book,  The Itsy Bitsy Spider.
SLH:  Have all your titles earned out?
IT:  Fifteen of the seventeen books that I haveboth written and illustrated have earned out. I have also illustrated four books for other authors and two of those have earned out.
SLH:  Are they all still in print?
IT:  All but one of my titles, a non-nursery rhyme book, My Jack are still in print. Of the four books I illustrated for other authors, only one, The Wedding by Eve Bunting, is still in print.  I have worked with small presses, who keep books in print longer than some of the big houses. My books have had a long run. I have been very lucky.

SLH:  Have sales affected publishers’ willingness to do further projects in a good or bad way?
IT:  The publishing world is in such a sea of change right now and publishers are wary and much more discriminating. It’s a very tough market right now- even for those of us with good track records.
SLH:  Can you give us any hints about what you’re working on now?

IT:  I have a new book coming out Apri11, 2012- The Bear Went Over the Mountain. As for works in progress, I have a few children’s stories brewing and am  also working on the last chapter of an adult(maybe YA) memoir.

SLH:  What advice do you have for authors/illustrators just starting out?

IT:  Spend A LOT of time reading and studying children’s books. Read adult books on writing and/or illustrating. Practice and work hard on your stories and art. Take classes, workshops, join a critique group. Look honestly at your work and polish it to the best of your ability before submitting. There is a wealth of information on the internet. Check out writing/illustrating blogs.  Join the SCBWI  (society for children’s book writers and illustrators)who offer great advice and opportunities for those hoping to become published.

SLH:  Where can we find you?
IT:  My website: www.izatrapani.com
My blog: http://izatrapani.com/blog
My Facebook Page: Iza Trapani author/illustrator
Twitter: @IzaTrapani

And now the quick, fun questions for the end! 🙂

Agented or not? agented
Traditionally or self-published? traditionally
Hard copy or digital? hard copy
Apps or not? no
Left-handed or right?  I”m a rightie (hands only :-), though I have suspicions I was born leftie and my parents raised me to use my right hand. I lead with my left hand in so many things…Long answer!
Plotter or pantser? plonster
Laptop or desktop? laptop
Mac or PC? Mac
Day or night worker? day
Coffee or tea? Both
Snack or not? Snack
Salty or sweet? Yes!
Quiet or music? quiet when writing/music when illustrating
Cat or dog? One of each (although – SLH here – I’ve seen her dog and he’s more like a pony :))
Currently reading? Besides blogs? 🙂 Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman

Thank you so much for joining us, Iza!

And now, as if that very informative interview wasn’t enough, you all have a chance to win a signed, hardcover copy of Iza’s brand new book which isn’t even officially out until April 1!!!  To qualify, leave a comment below in which (in addition to whatever else you might or might not say) you include 4 rhyming lines about a bear 🙂  Qualified comments will be loaded into random.org and one lucky winner will receive The Bear Went Over The Mountain before the rest of the world 🙂

Now, very quickly before we go:
1.  Look for Phyllis’s visit to Saskatchewan on Beth’s blog tomorrow (Tuesday, March 20) – it promises to be quite something!
2.  I will be featured on Children’s Literature Network’s new feature – Bookscope: The Story Behind The Story – with the story behind Not Yet, Rose tomorrow also! (link will be added when I have it!)
3.  Phyllis had an AMAZING visit to Missouri which you won’t want to miss (especially if you’re a CARS fan :)) so please visit Andi 🙂  And be sure to check in with Phyllis’s World Tour page for updates between blog posts here!

Thank you all for visiting with Iza!  Now write those 4 rhyming lines about a bear 🙂 – you could WIN!!!  (Oh, and please get your rhyming lines in by 5 PM EDT Tuesday March 20 – the winner will be announced Wednesday!)


Perfect Picture Book Friday – The Busy Life Of Ernestine Buckmeister

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Hurray!  It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday!  (And, right after the book, we’ll find out who won the Michael Garland giveaway!!!)

Today’s choice is as much for parents and teachers as it is for kids!

The Busy Life Of Ernestine Buckmeister
Written By: Linda Ravin Lodding
Illustrated By: Suzanne Beaky
Flashlight Press, October 2011, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 5 and up
Themes/Topics: the importance of play, over-scheduling
Opening: “Each morning, while Ernestine ate breakfast and Nanny O’Dear prepared lunch, Ernestine’s father zoomed out to work and called, ‘Live life to the fullest, Ern!’  And each morning Ernestine’s mother zipped out to catch the bus and said, ‘Make every moment count, E!‘”

Brief synopsis: Ernestine’s parents want her to have every experience she can, so they pack her days with sculpting and tuba,  yoga and yodeling.  It takes Ernestine to show them that one thing she absolutely shouldn’t miss is having time to just play.

Links to resources:  What I really should say here is, “No resources!  Just go play!”  But here are some resources that are also playing 🙂  Coloring Page, and for activities, try making a daisy crown (or any kind of outdoorsy crown), or make clouds out of cotton or shaving cream and see what shapes you see in them, or build a fort out of sticks, or blocks, or an empty cardboard box.  Use you imagination!

Why I Like This Book:  Kids will enjoy Ernestine’s ridiculous schedule, her amusing list of lessons, her teachers’ funny names, the bold bright colors of the pictures, and Ernestine’s inspired solution to her problem.  As a grown-up, I appreciate Ernestine’s message that while organized activities arranged and taught by adults have their place, so too does the unstructured time to be a child and simply play.

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for, when I announce…  that I will be vacuuming this afternoon!

Nah!  I’m just foolin’ with ya!

(I know you don’t care whether I vacuum.  Although there are others who feel differently… :))

The winner of a Michael Garland book is none other than our delightful Robyn!!! Wahoo!  Yay Robyn!

So Robyn, please Email Me and let me know if you’d like Icarus Swinebuckle, Miss Smith’s Incredible Storybook, or Grandpa’s Tractor (which was added by popular demand :))

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and join us back here Monday for the first Oh Susanna and the December/January Pitch Pick which will have to share a post unless I boot Oh Susanna for another week.  You may feel free to share your opinion on the matter in the comments – I’m happy either way 🙂

Also, if you have a few free minutes over the weekend, please pop round to some of the wonderful bloggers who have been so kind as to interview me and Phyllis this week 🙂  I’ll copy and paste the list from Wednesday to here for your convenience:

(From Tuesday Jan. 24):  Clarbojahn’s Blog: Part 2 of our interview and a giveaway of a hard cover copy of Punxsutawney Phyllis.
From Wed. Jan. 25):  Sylvia Ramsey’s Blog, Thoughtful Reflections.  This one I’m not too familiar with. I wrote the interview for her at the beginning of September so it will be all new to me too! 🙂
(From Thurs. Jan. 26): Corey Schwartz’s Blog, Thing 1 and Thing 2.  This one is all about where the idea for Phyllis came from and will be in two parts.  I’m not sure yet when part 2 will be.
Friday Jan. 27:  Leigh Covington’s Blog.  This one is a (brief!) interview with Phyllis herself!  She emerged from her burrow just because she likes Leigh.  There will be a giveaway of a hard cover copy of Punxsutawney Phyllis here too!
Sat. Jan. 28: Iza Trapani’s Blog, In And Out Of My Studio.  A chat with one of my favorite author/illustrators who may or may not be appearing on this blog soon (I could tell you, but then it wouldn’t be a secret :))  There will be a giveaway of a hardcover copy of Punxsutawney Phyllis on this one, too!

Perfect Picture Book bloggers, please remember to post your links in the list below so everyone can come see the wonderful books you’ve chosen this week!